Was skeptical about root collar excavation until I saw a 50 year old oak bounce back in 6 months

I always thought digging out the root flare on mature trees was just extra work for no reason. But my mentor made me do it on a declining white oak in a parking lot here in Portland. The girdling roots were cutting off flow on three sides of the trunk. The tree put out new growth the next spring after we cleared it out. Has anyone else seen a big turnaround after doing this on older trees?

2 comments

2 Comments

sarahsullivan3d ago

I heard a local arborist say it saved an old elm downtown from total decline.

nelson.finley2d ago

@sarahsullivan that's so cool to hear. It's funny how we take old trees for granted until an arborist steps in and shows us they just needed a little help. You see that same pattern with old houses too, like people will let a porch rot for years but one good carpenter can bring it back to life. Or even with old cars sitting in a garage, just needs a mechanic who knows the quirks. That elm probably has a whole history with that downtown block that nobody remembers anymore.